Two-piece plastic stud



Aug. 21, 1962 L. F. LEWIN 3,049,777

TWO-PIECE PLASTIC STUD Filed Nov. 4, 1960 Invenior Leon .F'. Lewin,

United States Patent Ofltice 3,049,777 Patented Aug. 21, 1962 3,049,777TWO-PIECE PLASTIC STUD Leon F. Lewin, Wollaston, Mass, assignor toUnited-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation ofDelaware Filed Nov. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 67,207 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-213) Thisinvention relates to fasteningdevices and more specifically to the malemember of a snap fastener assembly.

An object of the invention is to provide a two piece male member of asnap fastener assembly which is capable of being mechanically fastenedto an apertured support.

A further object of the invention is to provide a snap fastener studcapable of being fastened to an apertured support through a snap action.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a snap fastenerstud whose area of attachment to an apertured support will provide itsown waterproof seal.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, inpart, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the receptacle portion of the new fastenerstud;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the post member of the new fastener stud;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the fastener stud assembled on a clothsupport, the cloth support broken off at both ends;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the fastener elements assembled;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the fastener stud assembled on a clothsupport and with a buckle having a socket; and FIG. 7 is a section takenon the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawing, particularly FIGS. 1 through 4, there is showna snap fastener stud of flexible material, such as yieldable moldedplastic, comprising a post member 10 and a receptacle member 12. Thesaid post member 10 is preferably formed of molded plastic material andcomprises a circular base flange 14 and a cylindrical rod element 16integral with said base flange 14, extending in a direction away fromsaid base flange 14 and having an axis on the same plane as the axis ofsaid base flange 14. The said rod element 16 has a free terminal endportion 18 in the form of a truncated cone having the diameter of itsbase end greater than the diameter of the remaining portion of said rodelement 16 to form an external circumferential shoulder 20 as shown inFIG. 2. The said receptacle member 12 comprises a cover flange 22 in theform of a shallow circular concave dish, and a tubular stud portion 24open at both ends. The said stud portion 24 is integral with said coverflange 22 and in axial alignment thereto. The outer surface of said studportion 24 is shaped to form a diverging, converging surface forming atits widest portion a convex projection 26. The inner surface 28 of saidstud portion 24 has an inner continuous radially yieldablecircumferential shoulder 30 formed a predetermined distance from saidcover flange 22 and projecting into a portion of the area circumscribedby said inner surface 28.

A support 32 of cloth or plastic material may be engaged with theapplicants stud. The said support "32 has an inner circular wall 34formed therethrough to define an aperture.

To engage said post member 10 and said receptacle member 12 to eachother and to said support 32, the free terminal end portion 18 of saidpost member 10 is passed through the aperture surrounded by said innerWall 34 of said support 32 until the base flange 14 is abutted andsuperposed by the portion of said support 32 adjacent said inner wall34. Obviously, the diameter of said base flange 14 is greater than thediameter of the area defined by said inner wall 34. In this position,the greater portion of the rod element 16 will extend beyond the planeof said support 32.

The free terminal end 18 of the said rod element 16 is now passedthrough the area enclosed by the concavity of said cover flange 22 andthence into an aperture surrounded by the inner surface 2 8 of said studportion 24. The larger diameter of the free terminal end portion 18 isformed slightly greater than the diameter of the area encompassed by theinner surface 28 between said inner shoulder 30 and said cover flange22. The free terminal end portion 18 is forced by the inner surface 28by expanding the inner surface 28 away from the axis of said receptaclemember 12 until the shoulder 24 of said post member 1t snaps intoabutting, superimposed relationship with the inner shoulder 34 of saidreceptacle member 12. The dimensions of the receptacle member 12 aremade in such a manner that when the external circumferential shoulder 20of the post member 10 abuts the inner shoulder 30 of the receptaclemember 12 the support 32 is effectively sandwiched between the baseflange 14 and the cover flange 22. The concavity of the cover flange 22allows it to flex against the support 32 increasing the holding forceplaced on the support 32 and between the post member 10 and thereceptacle member 12. After attachment to the support 32 the stud can beengaged with numerous different types of snap fastener sockets, one ofwhich is shown at FIG. 6. This particular type of socket is used on astrap 36 and comprises a pair of opposed arms 38 which are attached to abase portion 40 whereby the arms 38 rest on one side of the strap 36 andthe base portion 40 rests on the opposite side of the strap 36. A socketcan be formed in the base portion 40' capable of snap engagement to thestud portion 24 of the receptacle member 12 as shown in cross section inFIG. 7.

Since certain other obvious modifications may be made in this devicewithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained herein be interperted in an illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A snap fastener stud unit comprising a post element and a snapfastener stud receptacle element, said post element comprising a baseflange and a rod element in axial relationship with said base flange,and extending away from the plane of said base flange, said rod elementhaving a free end in the form of a cone, an external circumferentialshoulder on said rod element, said receptacle element comprising anapertured arcuate flange portion at one end and a tubular upstandingsnap fastener stud portion, said stud portion having an internalcontinuous radially yieldable circumferential shoulder formed thereinfor cooperative engagement with said circumferential shoulder of saidrod element.

2. A snap fastener stud unit comprising a post element and a snapfastener stud receptacle element each formed of yieldable plastic, saidpost element comprising a base flange and a rod element, said rodelement in angular relation with said base flange, extending away fromsaid base flange and having an external shoulder circumscribing aportion of said rod element, said stud receptacle element comprising anapertured flange portion and a tubular snap fastener stud portionextending away from said flange portion, said stud portion having acontinuous internal shoulder formed therein for cooperative engagementwith said external shoulder of said rod element, one of said shouldersbeing radially yieldable, and at least one of said flanges being arcuatein cross section.

3. The combination of a snap fastener stud unit and a support, said snapfastener stud comprising a post element and a receptacle element, saidpost element comprising a base flange and a rod element, said rodelement in angular relation with said base flange, extending away fromsaid base flange and having an abrupt external shoulder circumscribing aportion of said rod element, said snap fastener stud receptacle elementcomprising an apertured flange portion and a tubular stud portionextending away from said apertured flange portion, said stud portionhaving an internal continuous abrupt shoulder formed therein forcooperative engagement With said external shoulder of said rod element,said support being interposed in gripping relationship between saidapertured flange portion and said base flange portion on engagement ofsaid post and receptacle elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS347,887 Pringle Aug. 24, 1886 737,874 Shipman Sept. 1, 1903 2,851,756Jones Sept. 16, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 117,961 Germany Feb. 20, 1901

